Service is the driving force behind Senator Vivian Davis Figures. The native Mobilian and the widow of the late Senator Michael A. Figures has spent her adult life helping others. "Service is an attribute I value in my private and public life," says Senator Figures, a graduate of Williamson High School and the University of New Haven in Connecticut. She attended Jones School of Law in Montgomery, Alabama, a goal she placed on hold to meet the challenges of single motherhood. Senator Figures is a businesswoman and serves as President/CEO of the Figures Legacy Education Foundation.

As a humanitarian and public servant, Senator Figures helped to organize and implement the Mobile County Foster Grandparents Program; the Homeless Coalition of Mobile; the Big Brothers, Big Sisters Program of Metropolitan Mobile; the Helping Schools Tag License Plate Campaign; and the Figures Legacy Education Foundation. She either serves or has served on many civic and charitable boards such as Habitat for Humanity, Prichard Boys and Girls Clubs, the Salvation Army, the Mobile Area Education Foundation and the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.

She has been recognized for dedicated community and legislative service by numerous organizations, agencies and professional groups. Senator Figures was chosen as a recipient of the Elected Women of Excellence by the National Foundation for Women Legislators.

Senator Figures began her political career in 1984 when she ran as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in which capacity she has served in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2012. In 1993, Ms. Figures was elected to a four-year term on the Mobile City Council, attaining the status of the "only council member in Mobile's history to hold a perfect attendance record."

Due to the untimely death of her husband, Michael A. Figures, she was later elected in the 1997 special general election by an 87% victory to the Alabama State Senate to serve the remainder of his term. The victory made her the first African-American woman to be elected to the Senate from Mobile County and the second one in the state of Alabama. She was re-elected in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.

In 2008, she became the first African-American woman to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. During the 2011 Regular Session, Senator Figures orchestrated and led the effort to have women represented on five additional key committees when there were no women appointed. This was done in a 35 member Senate where the Republicans have supermajority with five women consisting of four Democrats and one independent. Senator Figures was confirmed by the Senate in the 2012 Regular Session to serve on the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees, making her the first African-American woman to serve on the Board. Senator Figures was elected by her Democratic Senate colleagues to serve as Minority Leader for 2013 and 2014 making her the first woman to serve in a top leadership position in the history of the Alabama State Legislature.

Senator Figures now serves as Chairwoman of the Children First Trust Fund Board Joint Legislative Oversight Committee, and on the following Senate Standing Committees: Finance and Taxation, Education; Rules; Judiciary; Education; Governmental Affairs; Children, Youth Affairs and Human Resources; and Local Legislation #3. She was elected by the Senate to serve on the Sunset Committee and the Legislative Council. Senator Figures has been appointed to serve on the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment, Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Medicaid Policy, Mental Health Capital Outlay Oversight Committee, the Children's Policy Council, the Alzheimer's Task Force (co-chair), Energy Council, the Alabama Women's Commission, and the Alabama Prison Reform Task Force.

Senator Figures is very passionate about protecting, caring for, and protecting our children. She led the effort in helping to author legislation and securing funding for the school personnel background checks for both public and private schools to make children safer. She also, authored, and sponsored the Amiyah White Act and the Hiawayi Robinson Emergency Missing Child Alert System Act.

She has been recognized for dedicated community and legislative service by numerous organizations, agencies and professional groups. Because of her sponsorship and passage of the Alabama Clean Indoor Air Act, she was awarded the National Tobacco Award from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Outstanding Advocate Award from the American Heart Association.

Senator Figures values her family deeply. She is one of nine siblings and is the proud mother of three sons, a stepson, and a granddaughter: Jelani, Shomari, Akil, Derrick and A'Kayle.

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Hotels and motels, adoption of health rules relating to operation of facilities, reserved to St. Board of Health